Sunday, July 21, 2013

The [Soggy] Sunday Currently

Summer in Minnesota is wearing me down.The sun is out from 6 am to 10 pm, and after a long winter of darkness and biting cold, you feel guilty if you spend any daylight hours indoors. It's gorgeous today, you think, but let's be honest: it could snow tomorrow if it really wanted to.So you think, I HAVE TO DO ALL OF THE THINGS, and before you know it you've biked sixty miles, walked eight straight hours, and bought rhubarb at seventeen different farmers' markets (but haven't used any of it because baking a pie would require -- shudder -- going inside). It's freaking exhausting.And then, it rains and your body is like PLEASE LET HER REALIZE THAT THE APPROPRIATE COURSE OF ACTION TODAY IS TO SIT QUIETLY. And your head is like, UM DUH, WE ARE DOING NOTHING TODAY BUT SIT ON THE BACK PATIO AND READ, AND WE MIGHT NOT EVEN GO GROCERY SHOPPING EVEN THOUGH ALL WE HAVE IN THE REFRIGERATOR IS 23 STALKS OF MOLDY, FLACID RHUBARB.So you sit on your back porch and silently judge the author of the memoir you're reading for doing way too many drugs until you remember that you started the day by talking to yourself...no drugs necessary.This is my Sunday. How about yours?

R E A D I N G Still on page 4 of The Engagements. I keep falling asleep. I wonder if I should give it up? The other book I have out from the library right now is Someday, Someday, Maybe, a YA novel written by Lauren Graham, (better known as Lorelai Gilmore).

W R I T I N G things that have been in my head for months. Many thanks to Jenni for mentioning Ommwriter. That thing is magic, I think.

L I S T E N I N G to Joy Kills Sorrow. I heard their beautiful cover of Such Great Heights this morning on The Current's United States of Americana and knew I had to listen to the rest of their stuff immediately. Of course, I'm in love. They're coming here this week, but I'm sure I'm the only one I know who has even heard of them. In the car, I'm listening to the audiobook Sisterland. I'm definitely caught up in the story, but I think the narrator is making the protagonist much less likable than she's supposed to come across. I'm a huge fan of the author, Curtis Sittenfeld. Her first novel, Prep, spoke to me. Is that a weird thing to say? Probably. But I already admitted that I have conversations with myself in all caps, so, whatever.

T H I N K I N G about peanut butter. I've usually had some by this time of day... I really think I'm addicted. I was all prepared to eat some vegetables for dinner last night, but then I read this post from Laura and absolutely had to have a PB&J.

S M E L L I N G lavender. Trader Joe's put their stock of lavender next to the front door where you can't miss it. It was like walking into a lavender cloud, and there was no chance of me leaving that store without some. As Y would say, you just got advertised.

H O P I N G that the AC at my work is fixed tomorrow. Three days of no air conditioning turns an office full of smart people into delirious zombies.

W E A R I N G a cozy blanket over pajama pants. I love, love, love that I can sit outside wrapped up in a big blanket in the month of July and not sweat. Unsurprisingly, I do not miss Louisiana summers.

L O V I N G that we spent the weekend exploring our neighborhood. Dinner at the new brewpub/bowling alley, brunch at the Italian restaurant with the fancy new patio, a walk to the corner grocery store to buy necessities, a bike ride down the bike path along the creek to the lake.

W A N T I N G to make ice cream. I'm dying to make mint ice cream, but my mint plant isn't really cooperating. My Jeni's ice cream recipe book has been completely underutilized this summer. Also wanting to see Pride & Prejudice at the Guthrie. I'm dying to see Vincent Kartheiser (aka Pete Campbell from Mad Men -- he's a native Minnesotan) go from the douchiest guy on TV to literature's perma-crush.

N E E D I N G to buy groceries. I wasn't kidding about those 23 stalks of moldy rhubarb.

F E E L I N G the need to go outside. The rainy morning has morphed into a gorgeous, mild day. Relaxing was nice while it lasted.

3 comments:

Sisterland - adding to my list. Your neighborhood looks way more awesome than mine, and I want to go to all those places too. Though I live pretty close to the source of Jeni's ice cream :) Also, Trader Joe's does that to me with all MANNER of thing, but the lavender sounds lovely.